I've been thinking about work and the way that it is often so tempting to get a job done quickly without too much effort. When there are endless jobs to be done and the promise of some time to not do anything, it seems to make sense to choose ease and convenience. They are, after all, what everyone wants most, along with instant gratification. As someone who tries to make instead of buy as much as possible I shouldn't be drawn to doing the bare minimum and calling it good. But when someone comments on the food I have prepared or something I've knitted or sewn, my first response is, It's really easy. I say this because I want you consider trying to make something yourself, too. I say it because I don't want you to think I've gone to a lot of trouble or that I am insane to take all that time to make something when I buying it would be easier. I wonder what would happen if I said, I put a lot of time and effort into it and that's why I like it so much.
There are daily and weekly tasks that I don't want to linger on and there are meals that I rush to prepare and sometimes rush to eat. But I find that when I gloss over things quickly it encourages me to keep doing less instead of engaging in a task. When I go deeper into cleaning, making, listening, I feel more connected, grounded, and appreciative. It is certainly not always possible to do this but I remind myself that these moments are all we have and I'd like to enjoy experiencing as many as possible. I don't plan to take more time and care with scrubbing the shower but I do want to remember the satisfaction of a job carefully and thoroughly done.
P.S. This article is not entirely related, but I really loved it.
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